'Don't kill me' for playing kids, begs Mourinho

Unable to move from sixth in the Premier League, they host Palace, who have avoided relegation, on Sunday, days before the Europa League final against Ajax. I never saw that with Chelsea, with United, with Man City a year ago.

Like United, Ajax have also played 14 games in this competition so will be able to sympathise with the gruelling route to Stockholm that Mourinho has often referenced. As he has done recently, the Portuguese again plans to field a weakened XI, saying "I hope you don't kill me when you see my team".

De Gea was left out of the United squad which drew 0-0 with Southampton at St Mary's and is not expected to play again this season. I never saw. I never saw. "I hope to play Sergio in the final".

The result had no material impact on United's season, given they were already guaranteed to finish sixth, and means Mourinho's men have now drawn 15 times this season.

"I think for us it (the final) is the most important of the year".

[Marouane] Fellaini hasn't got a tear but he's experienced enough to know he had a feeling.

"I$3 hope to play Joel against Crystal Palace".

"I hope Big Sam shows he is a good friend and he asks Wilfried Zaha to go slow and leaves Chrsitian Benteke at home and they go soft on us".

Mourinho is also guaranteed to finish his first United season with fewer league victories than either of his two maligned predecessors, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, mustered in the previous three seasons. Southampton's wait for a home goal moved past the six-hour mark, hardly a great statistic for under-pressure manager Claude Puel.

"Any team has a debrief at the end of the season and this is normal but the end of the season is after the last game", said Puel, 55. That is fine as far as it goes, but watching United effectively mark out time here, their approach to the final month of the season does not sit easily.